major partner pledges

South West Water

We pledge to continue to work to protect the natural environment in the catchments and bathing waters within our operations. We will do this by;

continuing our Upstream Thinking catchment management programme in 6 Cornish catchments (Drift, Argal and College, Stithians, Cober, Fowey and Tamar)
taking steps to reduce South West Water’s impact on river water quality by one third by 2025
managing our own landholding in Cornwall for nature and improving the skills and training available to SWW staff
Promoting awareness of freshwater Invasive Non-Native Species, their impact, pathways of spread and biosecurity measures in Cornwall
investing in new screens to protect fish and eels from harm at water abstractions and by enabling their passage over in river barriers
by planting thousands of new trees in Cornwall both on our land and in partnership with others
restoring damaged and degrading peatlands on Bodmin moors and else where through the South West Peatland Partnership.

Our target is to actively manage more than 80 Ha of County Wildlife Site in Cornwall by 2025 and to match that on other sites that are either in an AONB or have Priority Habitat and/or European Protected Species for which we have a special responsibility.

We also help farmers to manage their land better for water and nature outcomes and since 2010 we have brought 50,000ha in Cornwall into active catchment management.

Cormac Solutions

We recognise that many of our business activities have environmental risks associated with them and that we have an obligation to manage these in a responsibly manner, ensuring that all aspects, impacts and opportunities are effectively managed. We will constantly challenge ourselves to be bold, ambitious and action oriented. By applying our core values to everything we do (positive, trusted, collaborative and innovative), we can achieve overall positive outcomes for Cornwall and lead by example to others.

We will pursue opportunities to protect and enhance places for people and biodiversity – this is already one of our key strategic sustainability objectives. We will be developing a specific ‘Biodiversity Action Plan’ to support our pledge, identifying our greatest opportunities and helping to drive continual performance improvement.

We will actively promote awareness and understanding of ecological issues, ensuring those who work for us and those who work with us have adequate competency for the tasks they are undertaking and understand how they can contribute to tackling both local and global biodiversity issues at home and during work.

The Cornwall College Group

Cornwall College is a large Further and Higher Education College, the college operates from a number of sites throughout Cornwall and Devon comprising both general further education and specialist land-based campuses. We recognise that there is a climate and ecological emergency and will manage our operations in ways that are environmentally sustainable, economically feasible and socially responsible. Using the Climate Action Roadmap for FE colleges we are planning to set our own ambitious net zero target before September 2022 and aim to become a leading college, working alongside the communities and businesses that we serve. The college estates are diverse and include both urban and rural campuses, college farms and protected historic landscapes. We pledge to develop sustainable campuses, enhance biodiversity and protect historic environments. We will also implement sustainable land management strategies for the college farms aimed at the protection, conservation, restoration and sustainable use of resources. We also recognise that we have an important responsibility as an educational establishment, and pledge to ensure that we will develop our curriculum in order to ensure that students are equipped with the skills and knowledge that they will need to meet the ecological and climate challenges that they will face. We will always endeavour to lead by example, adopt best practice and promote sustainability in all of our activities.

RAF St Mawgan

RAF St Mawgan is committed to developing its ecosystem, improving biodiversity, preserving rural habitats, and protecting the life cycle of threatened species by promoting awareness of environmental issues and providing a sanctuary for rare and endangered living things to thrive. We will collaborate with a range of organisations focused on conservation, recycling and waste management throughout Cornwall which will in turn, improve the health and wellbeing of personnel living and working across the Station by increasing their exposure to the natural world.

Cornwall Council

Cornwall Council has declared an ecological emergency in recognition that nature is in trouble; and we have adopted a long-term framework for action through our Environmental Growth Strategy. We support the LNP’s ambition that at least 30% of our land and seas are well-manged for nature by 2030 and will act to protect, enhance, create and restore it – whilst also supporting people to enjoy and benefit from it. We pledge to play a leading role on tackling the ecological emergency by prioritising it alongside the climate emergency, and will:

Make nature a priority in our 2022-2026 Business Plan within our ‘thriving, sustainable Cornwall’ priority.
Lead the development of a Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Integrate Nature Recovery into the local planning system through the Climate Emergency Development Planning Document and the future local plan.
Deliver on our Forest for Cornwall ambitions to cover approximately 8,000 hectares of Cornwall through a mix of planting whole woodland, individual trees in gardens and towns, and hedgerows.
Implement our Council Farms Estate Strategy, Asset Management & Business Plan to deliver the Environmental Growth Ambition alongside the other three Ambitions of Sustainable Estates, Farming Futures and Vibrant Communities.
Design, deliver and maintain green infrastructure across our wider estate on public spaces and roadside verges for the benefit of people and wildlife.
Develop the role of natural flood management in boosting community flood resilience.
Champion nature recovery opportunities in the marine and coastal environment.
Make space for sand to protect our dune environments, in turn providing adaptation and resilience benefits.
Record, reinstate and improve the accessibility of public rights of way and trails linking the towns and villages of Cornwall to the countryside to increase opportunities for access to nature for all.
Examine the feasibility of species reintroductions.
Empower our communities to take action for nature.
Champion positive business and community action for nature through the Cornwall Sustainability Awards.
Maintain and strengthen our relationships with partners delivering for nature.
We will continue to embed our decision wheel to ensure that impacts on nature are considered across our activity, and review scrutiny arrangements for our work on the ecological emergency.
We will push for devolution opportunities to enhance nature through our negotiations on a County Deal.

Scilly Organics

I will commit at least one third of my farmland to maximising biodiversity, plant more native trees, preserving heritage apple varieties, providing a huge array of flowering plants for pollinators, and allowing my hedges to grow high and wide to sequester carbon and provide great nesting sites. The farm has been organic since 2003 and always will be.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust

Research in 2020 showed 12% of species of principal importance threatened with local extinction, with nearly half of terrestrial mammals and three-fifths of butterflies found in fewer places. Cornwall is experiencing an ecological emergency and, as a charity, Cornwall Wildlife Trust has the knowledge, trust, hands-on ability and partner relationships to work to create Cornwall where nature thrives once more.

At Cornwall Wildlife Trust we are tackling the ecological emergency head on – teams are taking practical action by:

working in with key industries, such as farming and fishing, to work sustainably to protect wildlife
managing 59 nature reserves for wildlife, and
engaging communities to take action at home for the benefit of the local environment
starting trail-blazing projects such a badger vaccinations and beaver reintroductions

Between now and 2030 we aim to:

Encourage one in four people to take action for nature
Reverse the Decline of Nature
Ensure 30% of our land, rivers and seas to be managed for nature’s recovery

Falmouth Harbour

Falmouth Harbours’ pledge is to continue to work with stakeholders to further understand, find ways to co-exist with and wherever possible regenerate the valuable seabed habitats we are lucky to have within our harbour.

Environment Agency

Nationally, the Environment Agency Pledge for Nature is:

‘Create better places for people, wildlife and the environment, using nature based solutions and delivering biodiversity net gain wherever possible, as part of the Government 25 Year Environment Plan ambition to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it’

Locally, in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, our pledge is:

‘Focus on the link between agriculture, nature and biodiversity through seeking partnership, influencing and regulation to protect and enhance the land and water environment and by supporting our ambition for climate resilient places’

Duchy of Cornwall

The Duchy of Cornwall has committed to supporting and rapidly accelerating the world’s transition towards a sustainable future.

As a supporter of Terra Carta, we have pledged to secure the protection and restoration of a minimum of 30% of biodiversity by 2030 and 50% by 2050.

Natural England

Natural England’s purpose is to ensure that the natural environment is conserved, enhanced and managed for the benefit of present and future generations, thereby contributing to sustainable development. In carrying out this duty we provide advice to all public bodies and authorities, organisations and people with an interest in Nature.

In delivering our purpose in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly we will work in partnership to support the protection and restoration our natural world so that wildlife thrives, landscapes are beautiful and resilient and everyone can benefit from Nature in the places where we live, in the countryside and at sea.

We will continue to work with our partners and local communities towards delivering significant and positive changes for everybody in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly so that: all new housing is surrounded by trees, ponds and greenspace; that our children play in Nature-rich places near to home; that we build on the successful return of choughs to Cornwall to recover more lost species; that our rivers are clean and rich in wildlife; that farmers are supported in securing space for nature in managing their land; that our farmland, wetlands, saltmarshes, peatlands, woodlands and seabed act as giant carbon sinks; that our seas and coastline are increasingly alive with wildlife; and that the Cornwall, Tamar Valley and Isles of Scilly AONBs are places recognised for their richness in wildlife, which everybody can visit.

Devon and Cornwall Police

Devon and Cornwall Police’s approach to wildlife crime supports the six priority areas within National Police Chiefs Council’s Wildlife Crime Strategy. These are currently:

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

Increase the number of disruption activities and detections of illegal trade in CITES priority species by: Increasing the amount of targeted compliance activity, increasing the quality of intelligence submissions and intelligence products produced, improve the quality of analytical assessments and complete in agreed time-scales, and increase the number of investigations and enforcement outcomes.

Badger persecution
Improve and increase the recording of incidents, crimes and intelligence for badger persecution. Improve the investigation process and increase awareness of badger persecution across the UK.

Bat persecution
To reduce bat crime by: working with key stakeholders to raise awareness of responsibilities and criminal offences against bats, promoting a preventative approach and improving the quality of intelligence submissions and standards of investigation relating to bats across the UK.

Freshwater Pearl mussels
Raise awareness of criminality affecting freshwater pearl mussels in order to facilitate intelligence and incident reporting, leading to increased prevention and enforcement action.

Poaching
To increase the level of awareness of poaching and hare coursing as serious wildlife crimes and build better trust and relationships between law enforcement agencies and local communities, both leading to increase prevention activity, better quality intelligence, and enforcement success.

Raptor persecution
Raise community trust and awareness to facilitate intelligence and incident reporting, leading to increased prevention and enforcement activity relating to raptor persecution.

We have an excellent Rural Affairs Team who provide expertise, advice and guidance to other officers and staff on matters relating to wildlife crime and animal welfare in the policing context and engage widely with the public. They also work closely to support the Rural Crime partnership on Bodmin (plus Dartmoor and Exmoor).

We are also taking steps to reduce the impact of policing on our environment including using greener energy, and setting high Breeam standards for our buildings.

Cornwall AONB

Cornwall AONB Partnership pledge to protect, conserve and enhance the natural resources of Cornwall, through an integrated approach to sustainable land-management which supports biodiversity conservation, habitat connectivity, enhances ecosystem-services supporting natures resilience to climate change. Work collaboratively to invest in natural capital, reversing the current decline of biodiversity through projects and future schemes.

Eden Project

Eden Project will continue to enhance biodiversity within its Outer Estate with the creation of 2.5 hectares of tree planting and 7 hectares of wildflower meadows and associated habitats. This work is part of Eden’s wider ambition to become climate positive by 2030.

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership

Decarbonising our economy is both an environmental imperative and a huge opportunity for Cornwall & Isles of Scilly. Our location at the tip of the South West of the UK and our geology gives us an abundance of resources to power the Green Industrial Revolution, underpinned by generations of innovation and enterprise. Our ability to decarbonise our economy puts us in the enviable position of being able to provide green energy and sustainably produced food from our land and seas at the same time as managing land & sea for nature. This approach ensure that not only do we develop the regenerative economy that we seek but we also realise our region’s full potential and deliver inclusive growth. Our Industrial Strategy sets a course for a decarbonised and sustainable future for business, for people and for our environment. Our pioneering spirit, strength of community, and culture of innovation and creativity will take us there. Our pledge for nature is to achieve this vision.

University of Exeter

The University of Exeter’s Cornwall campuses are a haven for a diverse range of plant and animal species. We pledge to conserve and enhance the habitats that support wildlife on our campuses. We pledge also to share knowledge of nature and the problems it faces and to create solutions to these problems. At the University of Exeter, we have some of the best teams anywhere in the world working on climate change and the environment. We pledge to work in partnership at every level from local communities to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change at the United Nations to make a difference for nature. We will seek also to inspire and involve our staff, students and wider community to take actions for nature’s benefit locally. We commit to working with the Student Union to develop a Biodiversity Action Plan for our Penryn campus, outlining protection measures for vulnerable habitats and species that are present, such as badger and otter. We pledge also to reduce waste, to reduce the use of residual pesticides and to increase the use of non-residual and non-chemical control measures.

Visit Cornwall

Visit Cornwall is committed to drive and support the development of sustainable and regenerative tourism, especially after the last two years of coping with the staycation boom, driven by UK residents not being able to travel overseas easily.

A key part of the regenerative agenda is how the sector can fully engage and act to assist in nature and wildlife friendly activities, so that we play our part in making Cornwall a better place for nature, as well as an amazing region to live and visit responsibility.
We are in the process of developing a charter for sustainable and responsible to fit the needs of Cornwall and a whole section will relate to nature friendly tourism.

The Council of the Isles of Scilly

The Council of the Isles of Scilly has committed to work with our colleagues and partners to protect and enhance our natural environment, safeguarding our marine life and coastline landscapes to support nature recovery. This commitment is part of our Climate Change Action Plan (Objective 5 – How we will protect our natural environment) adopted ay Full Council in March 2022.

We will deliver this objective through the following actions:

* We will prepare a Local Nature Recovery Strategy to protect and enhance our natural environment and safeguarding our natural carbon sinks
* We will prepare a Biodiversity Policy which commits the Council to managing our public realm and open spaces in a way which supports carbon sequestration and promotes nature recovery
* We will seek to encourage regenerative land management to maximise carbon sequestration, through the delivery of our AONB Management Plan
* We will work with our local farming community and land managers to deliver the Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme to encourage actions which mitigate and adapt to Climate Change
* We will seek to better understand the quality of our local environment (marine and terrestrial), which will inform the preparation of a State of Nature Report to help us monitor our progress

Geothermal Engineering Limited

As a renewable energy generation company, Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL) always seeks to work in harmony with the natural environment. As such we pledge to help the local Cornish environment thrive by:

1. Saving more than 700,000 tonnes of CO2e throughout the lifetime of each 5MWe geothermal power plant compared to using gas.
2. Providing a net biodiversity enhancement of at least 30% at or near any of our geothermal sites compared to the pre-development levels.
3. Working with local schools and communities to implement wildlife enhancing schemes at our sites and within local parishes.
4. Providing a community fund around each geothermal site to encourage community-led, local, sustainable projects, with environmental protection, biodiversity enhancement and community cohesion at their core.
5. Using hedgehog houses, insect hotels, bat boxes, bird boxes and hibernaculums to encourage wildlife settlements at all our geothermal sites.
6. Creating and maintaining vital wildlife corridors at or near our sites to ensure developments are not limiting the natural movement of wildlife between habitats.
7. Running an education programme throughout nearby parishes, promoting renewable energy, sustainable living and environmental protection.

RSPB

1. Taking meaningful action on our estate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change to ensure a net gain in carbon sequestration.

2. Creating and restoring homes for wildlife that support nature’s recovery and provide long term biodiversity increases, both across our nature reserve network and in working with communities, for example on the Isles of Scilly to restore predator-free, bio-secure conditions for breeding seabirds on more islands.

3. Designing, implementing and managing our work in consultation with local communities, taking into account past, present and future landscape character.

4. Facilitating opportunities to deliver benefits for people, such as access to nature and green job generation.

5. Ensuring we deliver multiple benefits through our work, such as carbon sequestration, clean water and flood management.

6. Being future-proofed and adaptively managing our places, so they are climate resilient for generations to come.

TV AONB

Publishing our Nature Recovery Plan to engage land managers & raise additional resources for practical nature recovery and enhancement projects across the Tamar Valley AONB over the next 5 years.

Resilient Orchards Cornwall CIC

Our new Community Interest Company pledges to support nature by

– helping to plant more Community orchards across Cornwall

– sharing knowledge to help manage orchards and helping to bring back traditional skills like grafting

– create a stronger network of orchards, orchardists and knowledge about the rare natural habitats that orchards contain

– increased biodiversity as a result of new orchards planted and maintained in sustainable ways with underplanting

– help to create more spaces for people to live, meet, share and learn together in nature

– celebrating orchards and raising awareness of these important areas of natural habitat for rare species

Robin Hanbury-Tenison

Continuing to write books and articles about the environment and to fundraise for, among other things, a healing garden at Treliske. And to support what my son, Merlin and his wife, Lizzie, are doing at www.cabillacornwall.com.